Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 16.4.2008

Other case of pig fever found out in Slovakia

The disease of classical pig fever spread in Slovakia from Dolní Semerovce in the region Levice to other farm of Danish company Pigagro near a municipality Jesenská. A term of beginning of liquidation of almost 4000 animals from a basic herd and additional more than 7000 immature pieces is not, meanwhile, clear, a director of the regional veterinary and food administration in Rimavská Sobota Radoslav Serbák said to ČTK. „Measures against other spreading of the disease will be the same as in Semerovce“, Serbák noticed. From Monday about 7000 pieces of pigs are liquidated on the local farm; the whole premises will have to be sanitized and vets monitor surroundings in a radious often kilometers.

Subsidies in frame of Natura 2000 will help to maintain original sorts of forest growths

Till the 15th of May it is possible to ask for a partial compensation for reduction of agricultural use in frame of the program Natura 2000 which target to maintain the original sort composition of forest growth in selected localities. A spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture Petr Vorlíček informed on it today. Subsidies 60 EUR will be paid off, acording to his data, per a hectare of growth group per year for 20 years within fulfilment of conditions set by today passed government regulation.

Government approved proposal for support of former sugar-beet growers

The government approved a proposal of the Minister of Agriculture for support of former sugar-beet growers today. They were suppliers of the company Eastern Sugar which handed in its quota to the European Commission. The mentioned growers should get more than 11 million euros for purchase of new farm machines. ČTK obtained the information from internet pages of the Government Office.

EU: Biofuels are disaster for European nature

Even despite critics of developing countries, the UNO, the World Bank and ecological organizations, the European Commission insists on its aim to introduce 10-percent share of bio-fuels in fuels by 2020. Even workers of the Commission admit that the measure can impact not only world growth of food prices and cutting of tropical forests but it will also significantly affect environment in the old continent. „It is a disaster for European nature“, said an unnamed officer from the general head office for environment of the European Commission who is not entitled to speak with the press.